Just a hint from a nurse who has literally inserted hundreds of catheters (and had a few myself over the years): You can ask for lidocaine gel to be used instead of the usual "lube". This makes the insertion virtually painless, although you'll still feel the pressure of the cath against the walls of your urethra (the tube that carries urine out of the body). I've ALWAYS used lido in men because the catheter has such a long way to go to get into the bladder, whereas in women the urethra is much shorter. Please don't avoid getting a needed medical procedure done because you're fearful of the catheter---there is help for the discomfort.